Customer experience or advertising: Which should you invest in more?

Companies spend a lot of money on advertising campaigns annually in the hope of making their brands known. Sure, advertising is a must for every business aiming to widen the scope of its market base, but does the goal of getting your name out there triumph over the task of ensuring quality customer experience?

The truth is, even if your latest ad reaches everyone in your target area, but you are known for giving poor customer experience, all your marketing efforts will be downplayed by your poor reputation.

Why customer experience matters

Word of mouth carries a lot of weight when it comes to gaining support for your business. That’s why social media and review sites contribute to the trustworthiness of a brand.

According to Nielsen, 84% of customers trust recommendations from family and friends as a form of earned advertising, while 69% rely on the content found on the brands websites. This is the same reason why companies outsource call center support services and back office solutions like content moderation to protect their websites from fake reviews and malicious comments.

In other words, your reputation for giving great customer service can serve as reinforcement to your advertising. With people considering word-of-mouth recommendations more than ads, you need to ensure that what people say about your brand is favorable to you.

Keeping customers satisfied through exceptional experiences, especially when they are facing issues with your products and services, can make you a winner in customer service. This is the only way people are going to say nice things about you naturally.

The role of advertising as a kick-starter

Advertising is still undeniably an essential component of any marketing plan. Without it, it will be harder for you to expand your customer base and reach people who have never heard of your brand before. But advertising must never be viewed as an all-encompassing one stop solution to your popularity woes. It ignites new customer relationships and expands your network, but it can never replace the immense power of customer satisfaction in solidifying customer support and loyalty.

Instead of concentrating more on advertising, figure out what customer service areas need improvement. Listen to what your customers are telling you. When they see that you are making an effort in improving your services, your customers will be more than willing to recommend your brand to their own circles.

A business that focuses too much on advertising but provides poor services, low-quality products, or unpleasant interaction with customers will fail eventually because it can never sustain positive relationships. At the end of the day, advertising can only generate leads for your business. What will truly make customers stay is the kind of experience you provide them.